Dear government of Ontario,…

Dear government of Ontario, there are a few major omissions in Bill 4 that will make it an ineffective law to combat climate change. Climate change is one of the greatest threats to the future prosperity of Ontarians, as it puts at risk our agricultural production, our forests, and our residents via changing weather patterns and natural disasters of increasing frequency and severity. I therefore request that you make the following changes to Bill 4 in order to ensure our common future:

1. Introduce a carbon pricing instrument that will meet the federal benchmark: It is well within the federal government's jurisdiction to impose a carbon price on any province or territory, and indeed, one will be imposed by January 1, 2019, under federal legislation that has already been introduced, and they will be returning the revenues to Ontarians. Why would you cede this policy space to the federal government, when you have the option to create a made-in-Ontario solution that is designed with our province's particular needs in mind? Furthermore, carbon pricing is actually the most cost-effective way to reduce emissions - any other approach, including regulations, is either less efficient or results in government choosing winners and losers in the marketplace, which is an unwanted government intervention in free market activity. Accordingly, if you are determined to repeal the existing made-in-Ontario carbon pricing system, you are poorly advised not to replace it with something that will achieve equivalent emission reductions.

2. Set a base emission reduction target for Ontario that can be revised only to make it more stringent: The recent report of the International Panel on Climate Change shows that current commitments and policies by the countries of the world are insufficient to avoid dangerous climate change. It is absolutely unconscionable that Ontario would eliminate its emission reduction targets without replacing them, let alone making them more stringent, which is what we really have to do. Accordingly, I request that you amend subsection 3(1) of the proposed Bill 4 (Targets) to specifically establish an initial emission reduction target that is at least as stringent as Ontario's current target, and to indicate that it can only be revised in the future in order to make it more stringent, as all countries have committed to do under the Paris Agreement.

I trust that you will take the responsible actions required to secure the future of Ontarians, including by making the above changes to Bill 4.